"Lord Vincent—Mr. Worth," said Claudia.
Two distant bows acknowledged this introduction—so distant that Claudia felt herself called upon to mediate, which she did by saying:
"Mr. Worth, Lord Vincent has been particularly interested in you, ever since you entered the room. He finds a striking resemblance between yourself and a very old friend of his own, who is also from your native county."
Ishmael looked interested, and his smiling eyes turned from Claudia to Lord Vincent in good-humored inquiry.
"I allude to Mr. Herman Brudenell of Brudenell Hall, Maryland, who has been living in England lately. There is a very striking likeness between him and yourself; so striking that I might have mistaken one for the other; but that you are larger, and, now that I see you closely, darker, than he is. Perhaps you are relatives," said Lord Vincent.
"Oh, no; not at all; not the most distant. I am not even acquainted with the gentleman; never set eyes on him in my life!" said Ishmael, smiling ingenuously; for of course he thought he was speaking the exact truth.
But oh, Herman! oh, Nora! if he from the nethermost parts of the earth—if she from the highest heaven could have heard that honest denial of his parentage from the truthful lips of their gifted son!
"There is something incomprehensible in the caprices of nature, in making people who are in no way related so strongly resemble each other," said Lord Vincent.
"There is," admitted Ishmael.
At this moment the music ceased, the dancers left the floor, and there was a considerable movement of the company toward the back of the room.